A Coffee A Day
by RatherLipstick
Summary: Miranda and Andrea find themselves unexpectedly making one another happy. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

****Disclaimer: ****Unfortunately, I don't own this fabulous couple, nor do I make any money from getting them together through writing.

**Pairing:** Miranda/Andrea

**Genre: **Fluff, angst, and a chance of smut.

I won't beg for reviews, but they would be much appreciated!

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><p>Andy rolled over sleepily and stretched in bed, met by a grunt from the man next to her, who she'd just unwittingly slapped in the face with her arm. She pushed up onto her elbows and sat up with a groan. She turned to look at the sleeping man. Ugh. Another 'silver fox'. She was turning into some kind of father-complex cliché. Why did she always drink so much?<p>

The brunette cautiously slid out from underneath the covers and looked around for her clothes. She found her dress flung across a chair on the other side of the room and quickly pulled it on. She scanned around for her heels and purse and, grabbing them, sneaked out of the flat. After closing the door behind her with a faint squeak, she leaned against it and sighed, feeling ashamed. Her head spun. She reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. 7.17 am. Shit.

She ran to the corner of the street and managed to hail a cab. The short dress came in handy. Fifteen minutes later she was back in her flat and pulling the dress back over her head. Kicking off her heels, she rushed to the bathroom and took a luke-warm shower, slapping her face slightly with her hands in a bid to wake up. She washed her hair and climbed out, wrapping a large white fluffy towel around her as she practically ran to the bedroom.

After a mad rush to find a suitable outfit and sort out her hair, it was after 8am when Andy left the flat, choosing to get another cab rather than take the subway, not wanting to be even later than she already was. Why had she wasted time with a shower? Surely having slightly greasy hair was better than being late for work and being on the receiving end of Miranda's wrath. But that hadn't seemed like a suitable option at all for Andy, who cringed at the thought of what Miranda would think of her if she saw anything close to the state Andy was in just an hour ago.

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><p>Miranda pursed her lips. She knew Andrea wasn't due at the office until 8.30 today but the woman should have known by now to come in before that. She stood up from her chair, paced towards the door, and held the door frame, glaring at Andrea's empty desk.<p>

"I thought I had two assistants. Clearly, I was mistaken."

She marched back into her office as Emily hid a smug smile at her last words.

Sitting back at her desk, Miranda tried again to busy herself with work, flicking through print-outs of yesterday's Yves Saint Laurent photoshoot. She heard a thud and the sound of the outer-door being forcefully pushed open and looked up to see a pink-faced, apologetic-looking Andrea who tried, a little too late, to be subtle and slide behind her desk.

There were a few moments silence and Miranda took a deep breath before lazily calling,

"Andrea"

A second later, Andrea was standing in the doorway. She was a little less pink-faced now, and without a jacket, revealing a low cut white blouse, tucked into a grey Calvin Klein pencil skirt. She clutched a pen and notepad to her chest and bit her lip.

"Well, I don't have a megaphone."

Andrea looked confused for a moment and then hurried forward, closer to Miranda's desk. The older woman grimaced slightly at her own unimaginative attempt at wit - which had sounded much better in her head - before pushing her glasses down to the edge of her nose and giving Andrea an icy stare. The younger woman avoided her gaze but gave a nod.

"I need you to find a new photographer for the Calvin Klein shoot." She let out an annoyed sigh. "Apparently for some people family funerals take priority."

Andy looked down at Miranda again, slightly surprised. She had expected some dry comment about her (not-quite) late arrival, or at least her noisy entrance into the office.

"That's all."

Miranda looked impatient and Andy scurried back out meeting Emily's annoyed glare. The redhead had clearly arrived well before 7.30.

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><p>It was 9 o'clock in the evening by the time Miranda had sorted out the mess that had been the Yves Saint Laurent shoot the previous day. A re-shoot had to be organised and of course, she had to overlook everything, lest another disaster took place. <em>Why did everything seem to prove so difficult for her creative team?<em> She sighed and took off her glasses, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples with two long fingers. She lowered her elbow onto the desk and rested her head on her left hand.

Miranda's eyes shot open as she jerked upright. Andrea was standing in the door way and blushed slightly, her brown eyes showing what looked like concern.

"Sorry I didn't mean to wake - um - to startle you." She stepped into the office, handing Miranda a file. The older woman blinked at Andrea before taking it from her and flipping it open. It contained the final edits of that day's shoot. She stroked the glossy print-outs and felt her lips curve a fraction upwards into what was almost a smile upon seeing that the photos were use-able this time. Miranda looked up at Andrea who smiled down on her and for a moment Miranda was lost in those brown pools of friendliness and felt a surprising urge to grin back at her. She resisted however and cleared her throat, raising a questioning eyebrow at the young assistant.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Andrea asked.

"Did you collect the blouses Nigel ordered yesterday?"

"Yes, I passed them on to him this morning."

"I need you to rearrange tomorrow evening's meeting with Dolce and Gabbana."

"The twins' piano recital, yes. I've arranged the meeting for next Monday instead."

"Oh." was Miranda's only reply.

"Anything else?" Andrea's smile broadened.

"No."

Miranda stood up and surprised herself, having to stifle back a small yawn. She coughed to cover it up and Andrea looked away, seeming not to have noticed.

"If you would get my coat?" Miranda said, more than asked, as she walked out of the office. Andrea nodded and followed closely behind her, collecting Miranda's bag and coat and passing them to her with another smile. Miranda suppressed another urge to smile back. She wasn't quite sure where these urges were coming from and put it down to sleep-deprivation, but felt a slight flutter in her stomach none-the-less. She pulled on her coat, trying to put the thought out of her head, and turned to walk through the door when Andrea called from behind her.

"Goodnight, Miranda. Sleep well."

Miranda froze for a moment then left the office without looking back and without a word, but with slightly pink cheeks and a small smile at last springing to her lips.

_Oh my god,_ thought Andy, _why the hell did I say that? _The words had just fallen out of her mouth clumsily, without much thought. Thank god Emily had left earlier today, the situation was embarrassing enough without the Briton's cold comments, no doubt she would have mocked Andy with sarcastic impersonations for weeks afterwards.

The brunette yawned. It hadn't really hit her until now just how tired she was, not having had much sleep the previous night, or the night before that, or the one before that. She was tempted to just slump down at her desk and sleep, but Andy knew she couldn't without the risk of being woken up by Emily's prodding at 7.15 the next morning. She thought back to earlier, to a sleeping Miranda. She'd looked so peaceful, head leaning on her arms on the desk, back arched forward, rising and falling gently as she breathed - no, purred - in her sleep. Andy had stood there for a few moments, just watching, and taking in the image of an unguarded Miranda, one that didn't care if her hair was slightly ruffled by her arms, or if her blouse had come un-tucked from her pencil skirt and rode a little way up her back... Andy felt her mouth grow dry and swallowed, lost in the memory, trying to ignore the feeling that swelled at the bottom of her stomach. She shook her head and came back to her senses, picked up her things and left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

_Just a little piece of fluff to set you up for the day. Enjoy!_

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><p>Miranda felt a lot happier than usual. She noticed the girls' quizzical looks when they'd found her - more than once - humming softly to herself as she got ready for work that morning. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the hall mirror and was confused to see herself casually smiling back. She put it down to the good night's sleep she'd had, one with a lovely lazy dream that she couldn't quite remember...<p>

Andy wouldn't have risked another night out that evening, even if she had had the energy. Being late, or rather 'not-early', for Miranda for a second time would have been extremely stupid - no, _suicidal -_ so, after getting up earlier than usual the next morning, she arrived in the outer office of Runway shortly after 7am. It was unlikely that her boss would be in this early but Andy wasn't one to take chances and had collected Miranda's usual Starbucks order on the way to work just in case. However, looking through the office door, Miranda wasn't to be seen at her desk so Andy perched on the edge of her own and took a long sip of the coffee. She would have to buy another steaming hot one for Miranda in any case, so why let this one go to waste? She closed her eyes and sighed audibly before taking another sip, humming slightly as the hot liquid trickled down her throat and warmed her up.

A soft clearing of the throat a few metres away brought Andy out of her daze and she snapped her eyes open and jumped off the desk, nearly choking on a mouthful of hot coffee in the process. Miranda was gently leaning on the door frame to her office and Andy thought she saw a hint of a smile. It was gone a moment later, but there was still a definite sparkle in her eyes when she spoke.

"I was dying for a coffee."

Andy gulped and looked down guilty at the half empty cup of coffee.

"Sorry...I..." she mumbled

Miranda stuck her arm out and wiggled her fingers impatiently. Andy paused for a moment, confused, before understanding sunk in. She tried her best to wipe the expression of utter shock - which had no doubt just appeared - off of her face. She passed the cup into Miranda's outstretched hand, and watched her carefully as the older woman brought the cup up to her face. Andy's heart raced. Miranda's eyes fluttered closed and Andy looked down, embarrassed to witness what seemed like a private moment. She glanced back up a few moments later and met Miranda's gaze as her boss took a final sip and sighed quietly. Andy let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Miranda held the empty cup out to her and Andy took it, her own fingers lightly brushing over the older woman's.

"Good morning, Andrea."

Miranda tilted her head and what looked like a smirk danced briefly across her lips before she spun around and disappeared into her office.

Andy swayed for a moment, not quite understanding what had just happened. Miranda Priestly, _dragon lady_, _ice queen, fashion goddess_, had just _willingly _drunk from the same cup as her! A mere assistant! And then wished her good morning, _good morning_! Miranda Priestly didn't just wish people good morning!

The brunette looked down at the cup in her hand and stroked the rim lightly with her finger before coming back to reality as the door to the outer office swung open and Emily trotted through it. Andy felt herself blush but cleared her throat and mumbled "Morning" before dropping the cup in the trashcan, ignoring the strange urge she had to keep it.


	3. Chapter 3

_A slightly more serious chapter for you this time, but what would Mirandy be without a little angst? Let me know what you think; to angst, or not to angst, that is the question._

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><p>Miranda sat in the concert hall and let her eyes close as she bathed in the harmonic voices of the girls' school choir. For a moment - however small that moment may have been - she forgot about the stresses of <em>Runway<em>, not to mention those in her own home. She felt a lot more relaxed now that Cassidy and Caroline had played their pieces. As much as she loved hearing them perform, she knew that the twins - especially Cassidy - were often hit with a bad case of nerves before recitals and she found herself, more than once, grasping her purse a little too tightly while they played, letting out a relieved sigh once they'd both managed to finish without mishap.

She opened her eyes as the piece of music finished in a diminuendo and clapped with the other parents as the rest of the young musicians returned to the stage to join the choir in a final bow. As the applause faded and the children left the stage, she felt a nudge next to her as Stephen rose impatiently from his seat. She looked around the hall quickly and was slightly relieved to see that at least a few other fathers had stood up as well.

Miranda pursed her lips at the thought of the word _father_. The twins' father had called her office that afternoon and gave some vague excuse about why he wouldn't be attending the recital. At this, she had called Stephen and he had begrudgingly agreed to join her to the recital.

The woman on her left, an acquaintance from previous school events, turned to her, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Caroline and Cassidy played beautifully."

"Thank you, Helen."

Miranda curved her lips into a rehearsed smile but before she could return the compliment she felt a tug on her right arm. Stephen was gesturing for her to stand. She pursed her lips and gave him a cold look before turning away again and smiling. "Adele's solo was lovely."

A large hand suddenly grasped her right thigh and Miranda jumped and let out a small gasp. Whipping her head around, she flinched slightly as she found her husband's face very near to her own. She could practically taste the alcohol in his breath as he spoke. "We're going."

Miranda took less than a moment to re-apply her perfect smile and stood up, brushing Stephen's hand away.

"Ah, yes I forgot about our dinner reservation, darling." she lied, in the calmest tone she could manage, before politely wishing Helen a pleasant evening. It took all her strength to stop herself grimacing as she allowed Stephen to clumsily drape her shawl over her shoulders.

Miranda strolled toward the exit, flashing radiant smiles at various school board-members and directors. None of the smiles reached her eyes, which - had anyone known her well enough - could have betrayed the anger that boiled behind the charming façade as Stephen pushed is palm into the small of her back to escort her quickly to the foyer. As soon as they reached it, the twins ran over to them and began chatting enthusiastically about every detail of their performances.

"-and then Michael bet me ten dollars that I'd mess up!" grinned Caroline. "And I upped it to twenty!" Miranda frowned slightly as the girl cheekily waved a few dollar notes in her direction and was about to comment when she was interrupted, once again, by Stephen, who let out a deliberate impatient sigh.

She flashed him a scowl before smiling at the twins.

"Come on girls, you can tell me all about it on the way back to the house."

It was well past 10 o'clock when the book was ready that evening and Andy had spent most of her time trying to ensure that the Calvin Klein shoot the next day would run smoothly. It would seem that the _Runway_ staff were well aware off the Dragon Lady's absence and had carefully chosen that time frame to off-load any complications onto her unfortunate assistant's shoulders. After roughly four hours of phone calls, emails, and general rushing around, she had finally pulled everything together last-minute, _as usual._

Andy leaned back in her chair, let out a loud yawn into the empty office and allowed her mind to wander. She thought back - not for the first time that day - to the morning's events; Miranda's sparkling blue gaze, the sound she made as she appreciated the hot coffee, how soft her fingers had felt under Andy's, the way the words _good morning_ had sounded as they fell delicately from those perfect lips... The brunette let out a quiet groan. _Ugh. _She needed to get her thoughts under control.

-/-

The twins had left the house much earlier than usual that morning, planning a last-minute revision session with friends before school, leaving Miranda alone with Stephen, whose mood had not improved since the recital the previous night. Already dressed for work in a wrap blouse and a cream pencil skirt, Miranda was seated at the bar indulging in a raspberry yoghurt when Stephen walked in, with what seemed to be a whisky glass clutched in his hand. Miranda scowled momentarily and then turned her attention back down to her yoghurt, taking delicate spoonfuls. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Stephen as he sauntered around the bar. He swallowed the rest of his drink before slamming the glass down on the bar with a force that caused Miranda to jump and drop her teaspoon.

Stephen bent down and grabbed the spoon off the floor.

"Always so clumsy." he leered as he straightened up and let the spoon fall into the yoghurt pot which Miranda still held. She looked down at it in disgust and placed it onto the bar, standing up from the stool, avoiding eye contact with her husband.

"I should get to work."

She felt a hand rub her thigh as she moved to walk away and froze.

"You know, you never made it up to me last night for going to that recital." He was practically drooling.

Miranda slowly turned, meeting his gaze and trying to keep her expression calm.

"I have a very busy day ahead of me." she said carefully, her voice not quite as steady as she'd like.

His hand stroked up the curve of her thigh, across her hip and stayed on her waist.

"I mean it, I've got to go." Miranda gave her best ice cold glare. One which would make any grown man shrink back.

She pushed his hand away and marched out of the kitchen, letting out a silent sigh of relief when he didn't follow her. As soon as she entered the hall, she quickened her pace, and collected her bag and coat before heading out the front door. She slammed it behind her. It seemed to help a little. Glad that Roy was always ready with the car well before she was due to leave, Miranda slid into the back seat and closed her eyes. She focused on steadying her breathing as the car pulled away.

-/-

Andy had come into work early again. It was to make up for being late on Monday; that was all. Or to check that no problems with the Calvin Klein shoot had sprang up over-night. It wasn't that she was hoping Miranda would be in early too. Nope, that definitely wasn't it.

Today she had brought two Starbucks coffees with her. As much as she'd have loved to see Miranda drink from her cup again, Andy wasn't going to push her luck.

Miranda was seated behind her desk and looked up when Andy walked into the outer office. The brunette couldn't hold back a broad smile. It faltered, however, as she walked closer and saw the look on the older woman's face; distant and exhausted. Andy quickly hung up her jacket and placed her purse on her desk before coming to stand at the door frame. Miranda had turned her focus back to the laptop, typing rapidly, and Andy bit her lip nervously.

"Coffee?"

Miranda nodded without looking up and Andy hurried over, placing a cup on her desk, at which Miranda's hands stilled and lay on the computer keys, unmoving. She looked up and Andy could make out slightly red rims underneath the woman's eyes.

She wanted to say something, she wanted to ask Miranda if everything was okay, _was it the twins? Was it Stephen? Was there anything Andy could do to help? _She desperately wanted to reach out a hand, to cup Miranda's cheek, to push her forelock out of her eyes and tell her everything was going to be all right. But all she could do was stand there, helplessly, hoping the older woman would see in her eyes just how much she cared. There was no familiar sparkle in Miranda's eyes as she held Andy's gaze, and after a few moments the older woman picked up her coffee and sipped from it, breaking eye contact. Andy, not quite sure what to do, hastened out of the office and sat down at her own desk, gulping her coffee, oblivious as it burned her throat on the way down. The phone on her desk rang; the sound echoing harshly in the otherwise silent office. Andy spluttered on the drink in her mouth before swallowing and taking a deep breath.

"Miranda Prie-"cshe started, picking up the receiver.

"It's Stephen, put Miranda on."

"One moment please." and then "Miranda, it's Stephen."

There was a few seconds of silence before Miranda called softly, "Put him through."


	4. Chapter 4

_First off: please accept these virtual cookies, or cocktails (if that's your thing) and my apologies for taking a lifetime to update! You may need to reread the last chapters, it's been that long. Hasn't been a great time for me lately but now this bitch is back!_

_Oh, and the song featured in this chapter is _DMX's Ya'll Gonna Make Me Lose My Mind_. If you don't know it, you might want to look it up - it's my shameless guilty pleasure ;)_

_Thanks to you all for your fabulous reviews so far!_

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><p>It took all of Andy's self-discipline to not listen in to her boss' conversation. Why did that damned door always have to be open? Miranda's words shot through like hurled ice cubes, cold and impatient, from within.<p>

"This is neither the time, nor the place for-"

Andy tried to count the pixels of the Runway desktop background in front of her. _Don't listen, don't listen._

"I'll probably be late-"

The brunette opened her email inbox and attempted to focus on the words she was reading. _Read, read, read. Okay, I'm reading, I can't hear this. La la la, I'm reading. _

"No, I don't want to hear about- "

_Damn it, where are my earphones?_ Pulling every drawer of her desk open, the assistant rummaged through each one before finding the earphones tucked away under a few files.

"That's completely absurd!" Miranda practically spat the words.

Andy stuffed the earbuds in and leaned back, relieved, with a quiet sigh.

"I don't want your company this weekend, Stephen!"

_For heaven's sake! Noise-cancelling, my ass! _The young woman plugged the earphones into her blackberry and played the first song on the screen. Full blast, of course.

_Y'ALL GON' MAKE ME LOSE MY MIND_

_UP IN HERE, UP IN HERE_

_Y'ALL GON' MAKE ME GO ALL OUT_

_UP IN HERE, UP IN HERE_

_Y'ALL GON' MAKE ME ACT A FOOL_

_UP IN HERE, UP IN HERE_

_Y'ALL GON MAKE ME LOSE MY COOL_

_UP IN HERE, UP IN HERE_

_Ah, finally. Much better. _Andy couldn't resist a little head-bopping and booty-shaking in her chair; her job carried a lot of stress, she needed to relieve some of that every now and again, right?

...

Miranda didn't know which emotion was leading her - anger or mere emotional exhaustion - when she hung up on Stephen. She sat in her chair for a moment, feeling drained and teary, gazing into space. A minute later, she stood up, marched across to the mirror and checked her appearance. Editor-bitch-extraordinaire face intact.

Coffee: that's what she needed. She took a deep breath, adjusted her skirt and strode out of her office.

...

Having been lost in her music, Andy shot out of her chair at the appearance of her boss in the doorway, yanking her earphones out and dropping them to the desk, standing to attention.

Miranda stopped in her tracks and diverted her glare to the assistant; the brunette knew she must look ridiculous: she had done everything but salute upon Miranda's entrance, for goodness sake.

A moment later, Andy regretted having played her music at full volume. A tinny voice rose up through her abandoned earbuds:

_You wack, you're twisted, your girl's a hoe_

_You're broke, the kid ain't yours, and e'rybody know_

_Your old man say you stupid, you be like, SO?_

_I LOVE MA BABY MOMMA, I NEVER LET HER GO_

The brunette, frozen to the spot, could have sworn her face was turning the colour of a beetroot. Starting at her chest, she felt the blush rise from her chest, up her neck, and finally settle over her cheeks.

Just as Andy had the sense of mind to move and reach for her phone, she was frozen once more in her tracks: Miranda was _laughing._

It was a strong, earthy laugh that seemed to bubble and swell in the woman's chest before bursting to the surface in deep waves. The brunette let them flow over her, like molten gold. She felt like her head would lift clean off; _so this is what heaven feels like_.

The editor's laugh, and the ridiculousness of the situation, enticed one from deep within the assistant herself and the two laughs seemed to fill the office as Miranda clutched her stomach and Andy wiped tears from her eyes. As Miranda's laugh began to calm, the assistant snorted involuntarily, causing another round of hysterics from both women.


	5. Chapter 5

_What was that? You didn't believe me when I said I was back? Oh, I'm _so _hurt. _

_Enjoy and lather me in constructive criticism, my lovelies._

_And of course many thanks to a certain Kthac for being a fabulous (and much-needed) beta. _

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><p>Miranda wasn't sure exactly what had caused her to laugh. She could blame her current emotional fragility for letting her guard down; it must have been hysteria. But on the other hand, she couldn't deny that the sight of Andrea's stand-to-attention, combined with that awful rap music, and the obvious embarrassment that ensued, had ignited such a fondness and happiness within her that she couldn't help but let her emotions fight their way to the surface. After all, she felt safe around Andrea. That was something she'd avoided admitting to herself for a long time.<p>

It was Nigel that brought the laughter to an unwanted - yet inevitable - close. Miranda wasn't going to forget the look on his face in a hurry: for a moment, his eyes positively bulged behind his spectacles and he clasped his hand to an open mouth in that over-exaggerated manner he'd managed to perfect.

It took Andrea a good ten seconds to stifle her laughter and put on a pokerface, subtly switching off the music as she did so. Miranda, on the other hand, was somewhat better at controlling her appearance, sending Nigel a questioning glare. Although she did have to chew the inside of her cheek - a habit she usually despised in people - to stop herself from giving in to the smile that threatened to spread across her face once more.

"Is something the matter?"

She asked the question coolly, her eyes darting briefly to her assistant with a mischievous sparkle. Nigel didn't seem to know how to react, looking anywhere but directly into Miranda's stare. To his credit, he managed to compose himself quickly with an ease of which even Miranda would have been proud.

"Not at all," he chirped, "I came to discuss the theme for the Calvin Klein shoot. The scarves really aren't working. But I see you're busy; I'll sort it."

He looked back and forth between Miranda and Andrea. The older woman sighed.

"Very well, it is your _job_ to 'sort it', after all."

She dismissed him with a vague wave of her hand and strolled into her office.

...

Now it was Nigel who had a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Drinks after work. My treat?"

Not waiting for an answer as Andy stood there, expressionless, the art director just winked and practically pranced out of the office.

The young woman continued standing there, watching his back as he left, head trying to make sense of the events of the last quarter of an hour.

"Really, Andrea, are you just going to stand there _all_ day?"

Her voice sounded annoyed but as Andy turned she could see the editor was smirking. Miranda picked up the coffee cup and took a small sip before pulling a face.

"Eugh. Cold."

The brunette moved her lips silently, brain still struggling to find and put words into her mouth.

"Go and get us both some fresh coffee, won't you?"

_Now this is just absurd. Us? Get _us _coffee?_

"Yeah. Um, yes. Yes, okay. Yes, Miranda."

Andy flinched at her own words. _Come on, what was that?! String a sentence together, Andy! _She turned and left, cursing herself under her breath all the way to Starbucks.

...

The editor watched Andy leave the outer office, a smile dancing on her lips. _What was it with that woman? _

Part of Miranda scolded herself for that laugh: never had she let this side of herself out at work, certainly not in front of her employees. But another part had to admit that this was the most relaxed and almost - dare she say it - _happy _the editor had felt in a long time. She tried to remember the last time she had laughed. Not a fake, fleeting, social titter, but a real, side-splitting, grin-stretching, uncontrollable laugh. Miranda couldn't remember.

She felt a pang of guilt as she thought of her wonderful girls and how much Caroline and Cassidy laughed with one another. But when had she actually joined in? She'd spent the last few years sitting on the sidelines of their lives, seeing them enjoy themselves and sharing with each other, but that was the extent of her relationship with them. Had she merely been a spectator?

Miranda told herself she was trying, because she really was ...wasn't she? It was just that lately life at home had been difficult. _When hadn't it been difficult? _Juggling Runway and family life wasn't easy. And then there was Stephen. _Stephen. _The editor scowled at the thought of him. The anger she'd held during their phone call welled within her once more. _How dare he call her at the office in that state? _She thought bitterly of the time, years ago, when she'd thought that _this _time - _this _man - would be the one she could finally feel comfortable with. Had he not understood the pressure of her work? He'd seemed just as committed to his own at the beginning of their relationship: something she had admired in him...

Miranda stood up quickly, not allowing herself to be dragged down in these thoughts; the editor-in-chief of Runway would _not _feel sorry for herself. Absolutely not.

For a while, she stood there, looking around her office almost aimlessly, fingers running over the framed photo of the girls to one side of her desk. Her eyes rested on the artwork she'd hand-chosen for her place of work, her gaze softening at the sight of a few of her favourite pieces.

A teasing voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Really, Miranda, are you just going to stand there _all_ day?"

...

_Oh shit! _Andy had no idea why she'd let that sarcastic drawl fall out of her mouth. _Don't-ask-Miranda-anything_ rule aside, that joke was bound to get the assistant into trouble. But was it really pushing it? Minutes earlier, they'd shared a joke for heaven's sake. _But this _is _Miranda we're talking about. Anything but predictable. _The young woman practically shook with nerves as she stood there. Coffee tray in hand, mind racing and eyes wide, she tried to judge Miranda's reaction. Andy was nothing short of terrified.

She didn't have long to worry, however: the editor turned her head excruciating slowly towards the doorway and Andy was beyond relieved to see that the older woman looked amused.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hellooooo summer! Hope you're all having a relaxing July so far. Go easy on yourselves, put your feet up, tell work where to shove it once in a while!_

_That's as far as my pep-talk abilities go, I'm afraid. _

_R & R? Feedback is sexy, didn't you know?_

_Thanks to Kthac for kicking me up the backside. _

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><p>Andy felt the day pass by like a dream. Even Emily remarked that the brunette was 'even more disgustingly cheerful than usual'. She couldn't help it. Having nailed the technique of stealing side glances at her boss these past few months, Andy now found she would often catch Miranda looking back at her. The faint blush across Miranda's cheeks as she faltered mid-sentence and turned back to her colleagues on one occasion was enough to make Andy's smile a permanent fixture. Emily appeared not to have noticed the exchange and merely snapped at her.<p>

"For goodness' sake, Andrea. Wipe that grin off your face. Must you look like a complete moron?" She whispered as they left the meeting.

...

Miranda had just finished dictating tasks to Andrea when Nigel marched into the outer office.

"Miranda, I'm stealing your assistant."

She raised an eyebrow at Andrea.

"Is that so? Which one?" She drawled in reply.

"Six here. Cocktails on me. It's been a long week."

"Steal away. Heaven knows Andrea could use a drink." Miranda looked up at the brunette, her eyes mischievous.

"Oh, it's okay, I still have some things to finish and -" Andrea gushed.

"No, no. You've done enough today. Now go and have a nice evening."

Miranda could have laughed at the surprise evident on Andrea's face but for a moment she thought she saw an expression of disappointment flash across it too. She must have imagined it. Part of her wanted to reassure the young woman so she offered a small smile.

The lovely smile that had graced Andrea's face all day returned and Miranda felt her own smile broaden.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Came Nigel's teasing voice as he passed Andrea her bag and coat, linked his arm through hers and let her towards the elevator.

Andrea turned her head back towards Miranda and mouthed a silent 'thank you'.

...

Andy wondered how long it would take for Nigel to ask the questions he was practically bursting with. After ordering drinks, it took him all of two minutes.

"So, what was _that_? And don't try and tell me that was nothing. I haven't seen a look like that on Miranda's face in, well, _years_."

"Honestly, Nigel. I'm surprised you made it the whole cab ride without exploding. Kudos to you for having such patience. I'm impressed." Andy winked at her friend.

"Don't try and distract me with cheap sarcasm. Spill."

Andy laughed and proceeded to let him in on the details of that afternoon.

...

It was just under an hour after Andrea had left and Miranda felt her earlier concerns about Stephen return to her in full. _If only Andrea were here. _That woman always seemed to know how to make her forget all the negatives in her life. Andrea didn't even have to do anything! Just having her there always seemed to be enough to make Miranda feel better.

The editor thought back to Andrea's interview and tried to work out at which point over the past months of working together her feelings towards her assistant had changed. At first she'd been interested in what the girl could have to offer, and found herself disappointed. Then she'd become impressed with Andrea. But now? How did she see Andrea now? Was it stupid to feel proud of her? She certainly felt stupid that all it took was a smile or a look from Andrea to turn her into a fool. It had been so long since she'd felt like that. _Like what? Like a schoolgirl?_

Miranda sighed. Heaven knows _she _needed a drink. Before her self-doubt could catch up with her, the editor grabbed her phone and called option 4 on speed-dial.

Three rings.

"Nigel, where are you?"

The creative director seemed panicked.

"_Geoffrey's_. What's wrong? Oh god, has disaster struck? Should I come back to the office?"

"No, no. I'm coming to you.

...

Nigel stared at the phone. Andy looked at him, puzzled. "'Sup? You needed back at Runway?"

Nigel continued staring at his phone.

"No."

He placed the phone on the table and spoke slowly.

"Miranda's coming to have a drink with you."

"What? What are you talking about?" Andy felt her stomach plummet.

Nigel feigned an exasperated expression.

"Six, she asked where we were, and she's on her way."

"What do you mean with _me_? What about you?"

"Oh, sweetie, for someone so smart you can be a little slow."

Andy pulled a face. Nigel laughed.

"Isn't it obvious? It's not _my_ company she's coming for."

With that, he sipped the last of his cocktail, wrapped his scarf under his chin and stood up. Andy realised she must have looked ridiculous because Nigel chuckled once more.

"Come on, don't look so scared! Miranda doesn't bite, you know."

He winked at the stunned brunette and left the bar.


	7. Chapter 7

_I take immense pride in being a tease_. _R&R, if you fancy. _

* * *

><p>Andy couldn't breathe. She needed to breathe.<p>

No, she needed to _drink._

Ignoring Mini-Angel-Andy on her left shoulder and fully embracing Mini-Demon-Andy on her right, the brunette ordered a double whiskey and diet coke. Mini-Angel-Andy sighed and rolled her eyes. Mini-Demon-Andy grinned and muttered: "You needed it! This _is _Miranda we're talking about."

Not long later, Andy was staring at the bottom of an empty glass and felt way too sober for her liking.

"Can I get another one of those?" she asked the bar tender, pushing her glass towards him.

Andy nearly fell from her stool when a sultry drawl spoke near her right ear.

"_Make that_ _two_."

Miranda didn't acknowledge Andy any further but took a seat next to her assistant, eyes focusing on the barman's work. Andy, on the other hand, only had eyes for Miranda and knew how pathetic she must have looked ogling the other woman.

"Hi."

Andy cringed at how breathless she sounded. Miranda turned towards her and raised an eyebrow at the young woman.

"Ah. I suspected Nigel might make a run for it. Should I be offended?"

"No, no, not at all! He just - he had to go. I think he had a lot of work to finish."

Miranda looked amused.

"Hmm, really? Yes, I've heard his boss is a bit of a slave-driver."

"Oh, no, she isn't!" Andy gushed.

Miranda locked eyes with the brunette.

"Oh really?"

"Well, maybe sometimes. Just a little bit." Andy surprised even herself and winked at her boss.

Miranda smiled and Andy blushed furiously, before turning to the drink now in front of her. She took a sip and put the glass down with a loud 'aaah'. Miranda followed suit - minus the 'aaah' - and closed her eyes briefly, a look of bliss on her face.

"Oh I needed that," she spoke in a husky voice. It took all of Andy's self-control not to whimper. She couldn't keep herself from watching the older woman. _Sweet Jesus. Those lips._

Miranda's eyes snapped open and locked onto Andy's stare.

"Eyes up here, Andrea."

Miranda's voice was intoxicating and Andy _did_ whimper this time. She coughed awkwardly to mask the sound. Miranda wasn't fooled though. She smiled again and turned back to her drink.

The two sat together in silence for a while, sipping their drinks, and watching the busy bar tender, with the occasional shy glance at one another. It was a comfortable silence and Andy had no idea how much time had passed when she decided to break it. She was thankful she'd had a bit to drink by then.

"Miranda, can I ask you a personal question?" Andy stared into her drink, too nervous to make eye contact.

The older woman was silent for a moment, thinking.

"Yes, you can," she said slowly.

"Are you okay? Is everything all right with you and Stephen? Would you like to talk about it?"

Andy looked sideways to see Miranda's reaction. The older woman continued to look into her glass as she answered.

"I believe that was _three _questions."

She looked up and Andy smiled softly at her.

"Maths was never my forte."

Miranda lifted her glass and finished her drink.

"Let's get another drink first. _My_ choice this time."

Andy nodded and finished her own.

"Two large glasses of the Rioja, please," she said to the bar tender.

"Coming right up."

The women sat quietly once again and watched him serve their drinks. Miranda took a long sip and turned to Andy.

"Stephen and I-" she sighed. "Things are ...not good. They haven't been 'good' for a very long time."

"This morning, you were so upset. I wanted to say something. I didn't know if it was my place. Did something happen?"

For a moment Andy saw Miranda's mental walls go up and her blue eyes looked distant.

Andrea suddenly seemed to panic.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. It's okay, you don't have to answer that."

The brunette looked apologetic and Miranda sighed, her face softening. It surprised her how much she wished to talk to Andrea about these things. Part of her wanted to tell the young woman everything: the situation with Stephen, her girls' criticisms, her own insecurities. Miranda opened her mouth, heart ready to open herself to Andrea, to let her in. Her brain clamped her mouth shut once more. Andrea didn't need to hear those things, didn't _want _to hear those things. Miranda had a brief vision of Andrea laughing with her colleagues, and of whispers in the halls of Runway with Miranda as the butt of every joke. She took another sip of wine and mentally shook her head. No, Andrea wouldn't do that to her. _Would she? _Miranda sighed, and was lost in thought completely.

A warm hand on her thigh wrenched her out of her misery. Her head snapped up and she found herself lost in those lovely brown eyes.

"Miranda, you can trust me."

Andrea's face was so near to her own, Miranda could almost feel the woman's breath on her lips. For a moment, she forgot everything: Stephen, Runway, Page Six. She found herself leaning forward on instinct, eyes never leaving Andrea's. Her mouth was an inch away now; Andrea's breath was coming in short puffs and Miranda could feel her own heart pounding in her chest.

Andy thought she was going to have a panic attack. Her breathing had quickened and the sound filled her entire head. Those piercing blue eyes bore into her and for the first time she realised how hard she had fallen for Miranda.

Miranda blinked. And then, she ran.


End file.
